1. Discovering A Rule

Divide these words into two lists. Put into one the words that you think refer to number, and into the other the ones that mean quantity: many several.

much considerable.

little fewer.

few less.

Which sentence of each of these pairs seems right to you?

1. I have less books than she.

2. I have fewer books than she.

1. We have as many as fifty sheep.

2. We have as much as fifty sheep.

After you have decided which is right, make sentences in which you use correctly the words that are used incorrectly in these sentences.

2. Rule

Fewer and many should be used in speaking of number instead of much and less.

3. Exercises

Fill each blank with one of the words in parentheses:

1. There were------than twenty present, (less, fewer)

2. There were as ------ as twenty elephants in the herd, (many, much)

3. This cake requires------than three cups of sugar and------than three eggs, (less, fewer)

4. You must use as------as four eggs to make it good.

(much, many)

5. She brought upon herself ------ of her trouble.

(much, many)

6. She brought upon herself ------ of her troubles.

(much, many)

7. Shegavemeas------as a dozen bulbs, (much, many)

8. He gave me as------as a pint of his best seed corn.

(much, many)

9. I have------pennies than you. (less, fewer)

10. We burn------coal than you. (less, fewer)

11. He has as------as twenty horses, (much, many)

12. ------than ten of the club were able to go to the picnic, (less, fewer)

13. There were ------ than I expected at the lecture.

(less, fewer)

14. There was ------than five bushels of corn in the bin. (less, fewer)

Fill blanks with suitable words:

1. I have less-----than my sister.

2. She has fewer-----than I.

3. We have many-----.

4. We have much-----.